Video: Largest statue of MKO Abiola unveiled in Lagos

The Lagos State Government unveiled a statue in honour of the late MKO Abiola, on June 12 .
The 46-feet statue stands at the MKO Abiola Garden in Alapere, Ketu.

The new Chief M.K.O Abiola Statue, unveiled by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode at Alapere, Ketu, on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

Some dignitaries that graced the occasion were the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and wife, Bolanle, deputy governor, Dr. Ranti Adebule; MKO Abiola’s widow, Dr. Doyinsola Abiola and children of MKO.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode who unveiled a 46-feet statue of Nigeria’s symbol of democracy and adjudged winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election, Bashorun Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO), expressing optimism that the monument will forever crystallize what he stood for in his lifetime.

Governor Ambode, who spoke at the unveiling of the statue at the MKO Abiola Garden in Alapere, Ketu said it was in the tradition of the State Government to recognise and remember heroes and heroines who contributed to the greatness of the nation and the State in particular, adding that MKO Abiola deserves the best from the State as Lagos was his success story.

Alluding to the fact that a statue was previously sited at the location, the Governor said that his administration decided to erect bigger statues for MKO Abiola and late Rights Activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi to properly situate their immense contribution to nation building.

“There was a statue done by my predecessor, Babatunde Raji Fashola but in the divine world, some things are more glorious than what you think and so we decided at the end of 2016 that we should do bigger statues for Chief Gani Fawehinmi and MKO Abiola since almost everybody passing and entering Lagos go through this particular Ojota axis and so we started late in 2016 that we should build something bigger and so it took us about a year to do this.

By the time we did the one for Gani to celebrate his posthumous birthday on April 22, we also agreed that we should unveil that of MKO Abiola today, June 12. “But just as if God has a way of crowning all efforts to mark the 25th Anniversary of June 12, our President, President Muhammadu Buhari has deemed it fit to give our own MKO Abiola the highest honour in the land, GCFR and that is why we believe strongly that your presence here is not just for this statue but it is also historic which we would always remember in the annals of the history and politics of this country that sooner than later, there would be one day we would mark as MKO Abiola Day.